Day 43 - 21.7 Kilometres

O'Cebreiro to Triacastela

We began the day with a sunrise walk through purple mountains. If you ever wondered about the lyrics "and purple mountains majesty", go to Spain, and do the Camino. I know it´s supposed to be about the US mountains, but these fit the bill far better than any I´ve seen at home. The mountains rose like sentinals out of seas of fog and mist with the sun just peaking through. Not as a distinct ball, but as a molten gold glow. Because of the mist, everything had soft edges until we were nearly on top of it, so every curve, every face, ever foxglove and iris was a surprise. A very good start to the day!

As the day cleared up, we could see the green hills all around. The cows in this region are a bright chestnut (red-brown). A farmer ws driving his herd single-file up a hill across from the Camino. The compostion of red cows winding up the green hill were a Fauvist´s dream.

I have always believed in unicorns. Now I have a photo of one. OK, so it was a one-horned goat, but still... As we were walking we came across a herd of goats. I like goats, so I stopped to admire them. That´s when I noticed - these goats, if they had any horns at all, had only one horn in the center of their forheads! Not just one Unicorn, but a whole herd of them. I asked other pilgrims if they had seen the one-horned goats, and no one else had. Perhaps I imagined it after all...but there is that photo...

Just before reaching Triacastella we passed a village with a HUGE chestnut tree at its edge. The old man under it was selling walking sticks, and called out to us. I started to say, no I don´t need one, but then he assured us that he wasn´t trying to sell us anything. He then let us know that the tree was over 1200 years old and had healing properties. We heard through the pilgrim grapevine that he told stories to everyone who passed through. In addtion to the history of the tree, we learned that he owns most of the village, that his son is a "lazy good-for-nothing who won´t get himself a wife or a girlfriend", and that he scopes out every girl who passes through as a marraige candidate. At 80, he still works his fields with a hand scythe (as do many of the farmers around here). His wife died 11 years ago, and he laments that "Women used to be strong, built like this (insert hand gestures), and he just doesn´t undersatnd what´s happened to the modern woman". Have I mentioned lately how much I like Spain and Spaniards?

In Triacastella, we were greeted with a donativo (free) Albergue with field, and (drumroll please) pilgrims doing part of the Camino on horseback! Not one, but SEVEN ponies were tethered behind the Albergue. Ponies and unicorn goats all in the same day. The only thing that would make it better would be a cold cervesa and some ice cream...

Oh wait...There was a lovely bar and outdoor cafe across the street from the albergue. Yes, it was a good day today.